


Observing

by Jestana



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2019 [21]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 22:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17875928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: Malika Cadash likes the sound of laughter.





	Observing

**Author's Note:**

> Written for February Ficlet Challenge. The prompt is 'laughter'.

"Thanks for your help, Bull," Malika told him as they left Sera's room and closed the door behind them.

He grinned, resting a massive hand across her shoulders. "Anytime, Boss."

A peal of laughter distracted Malika from responding and she looked over the railing to the lower level to see Blackwall and Josephine removing a cloak from around themselves as he shut the door behind them. _Were they **sharing** the cloak?_

Blackwall hung the cloak on one of the pegs by the door so it'd drip into one of the buckets Cabot had set out, and then extended his arm to Josephine. She took it and let him escort her to the bar, sliding gracefully onto one of the stools. When he released her arm, he took a step back, but she reached out and caught his sleeve, saying something that Malika couldn't hear over the usual din of the tavern. She guessed it was a request that he join the ambassador because he slid onto the stool beside Josephine the next moment. Iron Bull caught her attention with a soft grunt. "Huh, that's not something I expected."

"What do you mean?" Malika asked, looking curiously up at Iron Bull. He'd yet to remove his hand from her shoulders.

"Blackwall and Josephine," he explained, gesturing down at the two with his free hand. "I've seen you looking at the two of them. They look back at you and he looks at her, but this is the first time I've seen _her_ look at _him_."

She looked back down at the two as they accepted drinks from Cabot. Josephine's looked like some sort of wine, while his was most likely the ale he usually preferred. Watching them together, Malika remembered the trip from Val Royeaux and Blackwall's hand covering both hers and Josephine's. It had felt... right. Good. Quietly, she told Iron Bull, "She's looked at him before, but you weren't around."

"Huh. What are you going to do, Boss?" His question surprised her into finally looking away from Josephine and Blackwall and up at Iron Bull.

Malika tilted her head, frowning up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, before, when I'd see people _looking_ at each other like that, they'd end up in the sack together." He grunted as he leaned down to prop his arms on the railing. "All three of them."

She stared at him, caught by surprise. All this time, she'd been wondering about choosing between Josephine and Blackwall. She hadn't considered _both_ of them. Malika looked back down in time to see Blackwall laugh at something Josephine said, an honest to goodness _belly laugh_ that drew the attention of several others in the tavern. From this angle, she could see their knees brushing against each other under the bar. She couldn't stop a shiver at the thought of sharing that. "Isn't it selfish, though? To want both?"

"Maybe." Iron Bull shrugged his massive shoulders. "Though it's _all_ of you being selfish if you look at it that way."

Malika laughed. "That's a good point."

She looked up at him when he rested his hand on her shoulders again. "Listen, Boss, whatever you decide, you have my support and I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Bull." Smiling, Malika reached up to pat his hand, comforted and reassured.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually part of a longer fic I've been working on where Malika ends up with BOTH Josephine and Blackwall. It's not finished yet, though I hope to eventually get around to it.


End file.
